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The other brand sections have this kind of thread, and I couldn't believe we don't have one for Parker. So here we go. What Parkers have you added to your collection lately? We have 100 years worth of pens with the Parker name, and some of us are addicted to gathering them up. I have a number of items on order, both vintage and modern, and I will mention those as they arrive over the next few weeks. But to get us started, here's the ebay photo of a P45 I just scored: Burgundy Parker 45, 14k Medium - described as NOS. In fact, that's how I found it. I was searching for gold P45 nibs. I had to grab this one because: 1. I don't have this color yet. (I am hoping it's not the same color as my red one.) 2. A gold Medium nib is my P45 sweet spot. (I do have a 14k broad nib unit on the way, too, to upgrade one of my two steel Fines.) 3. That squeeze converter alone could cost half of what I just paid for this pen, and I only have one of those. My other P45s use carts or one of the modern twist converters. So, now it's your turn. Let's keep this one going, shall we?

Pen Pit Stop : Parker Sonnet SE18 Atlas / Journey Welcome to the Pen Pit Stop. Here you will find reviews of pens that already have some mileage on them. More specifically, these reviews are of pens that are in my personal collection, and that have been in use for at least a year. I thought it would be fun to do it this way – no new & shiny pens here but battered vehicles that have been put to work for at least a year. Let’s find out how they have withstood the ravages of time. The fountain pen that enters the pit stop today is the “Parker Sonnet Atlas / Journey”, a 2018 Special Edition. The Parker Pen Company is a manufacturer of luxury pens, founded in 1888 by George Safford Parker in Janesville, Wisconsin, United States. The Sonnet model was introduced around 1994. It was designed by Geoff Hollington of Hollington Associates in London, who describes it as: “The Sonnet was intended to be ‘the classic Parker’, a truly timeless product, with a really well-proportioned cigar shape, clear but updated arrow clip, a generously sized nib and state of the art writing experience.” Much more and definitely interesting information about the Parker Sonnet can be found at parkerpens.net/sonnet.html. The Atlas is a special edition pen from the 2018 “Discover the Uncharted” series. This is a collection of unique pens that celebrates man’s curiosity and desire to discover the unknown – a mindset that embodies the intrepid nature and passion for travel of founder George S. Parker. Each pen is inspired by the experiences of travel: “Stratum / Explore” is etched with geological forms on the polished steel cap with rose gold-plated accents and grey lacquer barrel. “Metro / Challenge” is inspired by city maps, laser engraved with street patterns on the black matte cap trimmed with palladium and anchored with a black lacquer barrel. “Impression / Reflection” is engraved with passport and stamp designs on the polished steel cap, trimmed in gold plate with a black matte barrel. Personally, my preference went to the Atlas design which is based on a map of the world. With a distinguished deep blue lacquer barrel, reminiscent of rolling oceans, the look is completed with delicate brass map lines. Completed with a sterling silver cap, laser engraved with a pattern inspired by a view of the Earth from the poles, this pen has a true premium feel. The model designation on this pen is unobtrusively engraved on the side of the cap, and states “Parker France IIE”. The “E” designates the last digit of the production year. The numbering scheme used takes the word QUALITYPEN, and designates the numbers 0..9 to each of these letters. So E=8, meaning that this pen was produced in a year ending on a 8 (and more specifically in Q3 of that year). That fits with the release year of this special edition pen – 2018. Pen Look & Feel This is an elegant, slender fountain pen with a very classic feel to it. I particularly like the interplay of materials and engraved geographic patterns, that give the Atlas its distinctive looks. Parker produces lots of other pen models, none of which appeal to me. But for some reason I’ve always liked the look and feel of the Sonnet, flaws and all. And yes, I mean that ill-designed cap with its breather-hole that lets air in. As a result, water evaporates from the feed, increasing the ink’s saturation. It’s not that the nib dries out – never had a problem with that – but the first few lines of the day always write a lot darker and more saturated. After these first few lines, the normal ink colour and behaviour re-appears. Annoying, but a fingerprint feature of the Sonnet. The Atlas documentation states that the cap is made from Sterling silver. For years I’ve had my doubts. But while preparing for this review, I examined the cap very carefully with a magnifying glass, and lo-and-behold, there is a silver mark present! Well hidden, right under the arrow shaft of the clip. The pen has a push-cap mechanism and can be used unposted or posted (and it posts securely). I actually prefer to use this pen unposted (posted, it feels a bit top-heavy to me). The pen is very comfortable in the hand. When using it unposted, care should be taken when putting it on your desk – being completely round, the pen has a tendency to roll away. The 18K gold nib (AU 750/1000 purity) on this particular pen is a Fine, but one that writes very wet and leaves a very saturated line (especially when you compare it with the rather dry-writing Lamy Safari). I like this nib a lot. The pictures above illustrate the size of the Parker Sonnet in comparison with a standard Lamy Safari. Capped, both pens are roughly equal in size. I prefer to use both pens unposted – the Parker pen is a bit smaller than the Lamy but is still really comfortable to use. The posted Parker is a bit too large for my taste and feels top-heavy. Pen Characteristics Build Quality : the pen is well build, and still looks great after almost 6 years. The pen also has some weight to it (owing to the metal parts used in its construction). I had some fears that the engraved map pattern on the barrel would deteriorate with time, but that hasn’t happened. Overall the pen has aged gracefully. Weight & Dimensions : about the same size as a Lamy Safari when capped. Uncapped and unposted it is definitely a smaller pen, but still very comfortable in the hand. This is also a slender pen, especially compared to the much bulkier Lamy Safari. The pen has some heft to it – it is substantially heavier than a Lamy Safari, with most of the weight concentrated in the cap (making the pen a bit top-heavy when posted). Filling System : this is a cartridge convertor pen, that uses Parker proprietary cartridges. My pen came with a Parker convertors. But you can just as easy syringe-fill Parker Quink cartridges with your bottled ink of choice. Nib & Performance : the rhodium-plated 18K gold nib is well-proportioned for the size of this pen. In size, it sits right between a Lamy Safari and a Pelikan M200 nib. The F-nib on my unit writes like a dream and produces a wet and well-saturated line. Replacement nib units in different sizes can be found online (just do a Google search on “Parket Sonnet nib replacement”, and be sure to take a look at S.B.R.E.Brown’s excellent disassembly line youtube video for the Parker Sonnet. Price : I paid a solid 380 EUR for this pen, which is fairly expensive. But I still consider it a reasonable price for a special edition pen with an 18K gold nib. And more importantly, I really like the Atlas design, and still find it a joy to write with it – that is enough justification for me. Conclusion My Parker Sonnet Atals is a slender and elegant pen with a distinctive “geography-themed” design, that really speaks to me. I love writing with this particular pen – it always make me feel a bit of an armchair explorer, day-dreaming about these adventurers from the early 1900’s when the world was a lot bigger with lots of unexplored corners. I use this pen on a regular basis and never get tired of it. This one is definitely a keeper.

I own two Parker Sonnets, bought them in an online auction together. I do not care for the nib and feed, they always start off dry, scratchy, and often skip. I was wondering if there were parts, doesn't have to be Parker, I could buy separately to swap out? I have no issues making these Frankenpens as long as they work how I like. I live in South America so shipping them to the US or Europe to get nib work done would be pretty costly and the postal system here isn't that reliable. Any suggestions would be great.

I have purchased numerous sonnets via the internet over recent years. I have so far encountered only honest vendors, and have been pleased with what they sold me. My luck has however run out. Sonnet fanciers will have seen recent very cheap sonnets advertised from China, and some of these are straight copies of the French originals: the 'silver circle' and 'gold circle' copy the tartan ST and GT from the 2003 sonnets, and the 'silver diamond' and 'gold diamond' copy the premium silver and gold lustre from 2008. I bought a Chinese gold diamond a while back for £8.99 just to have a look, and I got what I paid for: a cheap and cheerful look-alike but instantly recognisable as not the original and genuine. I was looking for a Premium gold lustre, and encountered one for €120, sold by a southern European vendor with a flashy website. The wording and photos were just a bit unclear, and the vendor's replies to my emailed queries were nearly enough satisfactory. So I paid up. And it has arrived. And despite the signed 'certificate of authenticity' and other paperwork it is clearly one of the Chinese £8.99 variety. One lives and learns. CAVEAT EMPTOR, as they used to say where the pen came from. So that others may not suffer the same fate, the photo herewith shows a genuine sonnet on the left; the Chinese £8.99 effort on the right; and my current disaster in the middle. Note the following: - the arrow fletches in the real thing are fine and taper to each end, but in the other two they are blunt ended, stamped into the metal - the date stamps on both 2020 pens, and a couple of other Chinese ones I have seen, are all IIIQ - the date stamps are not so deep or clear (NB genuine 2008 sonnets have the stamp in the centre of the band, so in this respect the Chinese ones are like the genuine ones) - the hatches in the lines are clumsy and irregular on the cap of both modern Chinese pens - real ones are grouped more like on the barrel of these pens Older and wiser... Peter

I like the finish of Sonnet Rollerball I found online. But since I prefer fountain pens, my question is, can I buy rollerball and replace the grip section with the fountain pen section?

I contacted Parker about getting a replacement lid for my Vector and Rubbermaid-Newell support basically said "Send us a photo. Oops, no can do, no spare parts. I can, however, offer you a special 50% discount on any of our subsidiary products." (This includes Parker, Rotring, Waterman, Papermate, etc. etc.) So I looked around, and their current top of the range, the Parker Sonnet Cisele fountain (gold/silver) is covered by the 50% discount offer, so could get one for 186.50 GBP. I believe the term is "grail pen". The discount is valid for a couple months. Is it worth it? Are modern Sonnets, especially the Cisele ones, good pens? Do they tend to hold value, e.g. is it resellable for no loss? Or should I just forget it? I've seen fake Cisele Sonnets from China on eBay for 10 GBP, and also have no idea if modern Rubbermaid Parker is still up to scratch... (I've been able to compare older and modern Vectors, where the older ones look just a little nicer/tougher).

During a recent sale, I picked up a blue Sonnet with a broad gold nib (Blue CT). I'd had some challenging experiences with a few older Parker pens, and despite the fact they don't seem to get much love I wanted to try a new in the box model just to see what that was like. Turns out that I absolutely love it. I'm writing in my A5 Tomoe River notebook which is my diary for everything, reflections, To Do lists, et al. I'm using Pilot tsuki-yo ink and it's like seeing the ink for the first time because the pen puts down so much of it that I get pink and purple sheen and variations in the blues. The pen glides across the page, like friction isn't even a thing that exists in the universe. It certainly changes how I write because it's so large, but it never fights me on the up or down strokes, it never feels like it's catching on the paper. I don't have many fancy pens, mostly Kaweco Sports, Lamy Safaris, and such. But this is the nicest pen I've ever owned or written with. So much better than the vintage Parkers I've tried, and easier to take care of. I did also order a fine nib because they were on such a great sale, but returned it as I didn't at all enjoy how it wrote. My Kawecos and low end Pilots with F and EF nibs wrote more smoothly than the Sonnet with an F that I got. But, I'm very happy with the broad. It does something that I just can't do with any of my other pens, I can write quickly, easily, and get a beautiful experience of the ink.

After trying a vintage 51, and two vintage Sonnets, I want to try a new out of the box Parker pen with a gold nib. I really liked the way the 51 wrote, and one of the Sonnets, they felt nearly frictionless and the way I write that's helpful. They were all Medium nibs. The options for that, at the best price I can find here in Canada at the moment, are: Parker 51 re-issue"next-generation" in Plum, "Deluxe" model with Fine 18k nib. OR Parker Sonnet Classic series Black lacquer, palladium trim, Fine 18k nib (rhodium finish). The 51 is slightly more expensive, but for the purposes of this let's say they're both about $160 USD. And they're both only available at these prices in the Fine nib, so there's that. Thank you for your votes and wisdom, and scolding, and whatever else you have in store for me.

This is a medium Sonnet I just received, from a reputable shop, which was sold as "new old stock." The nib looks bent to me, but it writes pretty nicely. Perhaps a little scratchy in one direction, but wildly better than the custom ground nib I unexpectedly got from another shop. So this has me wondering, should the nib on this pen be straight? Or are there benefits to nibs shaped like this? Or is it a flaw that needs to be returned and corrected? (None of the photos on the site showed it from the side, so it wasn't clear that it would look like this when I ordered.)

I recently bought my first Parker Sonnet, a used 1993 with a nib described as "springy and writes smoothly" and I was surprised to find that while it is indeed springy it's also very scratchy. I was surprised to find that my LAMY safaris and Kaweco sports are so much smoother and much more pleasant to write with. Is it me? Or the pen? It was sold as a medium nib, and it's marked "M" but I wonder if it isn't actually some kind of italic? Or if perhaps it's been ground down to this? Or is this normal for a Sonnet? My eyesight is quite bad which makes it hard to really deal with the details of nibs beyond others descriptions of them and my experience writing with them. But it looks strangely square to me, and it writes like that also. If I draw a line straight down it's thick, and if I draw across it's thin. I'm enclosing photos of the nib from the seller, they're better than anything I could take myself (though I know they aren't as high resolution as would be ideal). And some images of the lines and writing produced by the pen, using Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-yo on Rhodia 16, with the nib also visible there. I truly appreciate your help, advice, and thoughts about this nib. I'm a real beginner in this area, so my apologies for anything obvious that I might be missing. Thank you.

Just putting this here for info from the Parker Instagram account (three separate photos): The accompanying text is as follows: 1. Introducing Sonnet Premium. A classic expression of refined style, Sonnet is Parker’s symbol of elegance. With an array of designs, every intricate detail is skillfully executed to bring sophistication to every writing occasion. 2. Premium collection features a range of deep and rich, lacquers and varnishes, complemented with luxurious gold or palladium trim, and an 18K gold nib. Sonnet Premium truly is a symbol of Parker elegance captured in this remarkable collection. 3. Flawless quality and expert craftmanship meets precision engineering and timeless elegance in the all new Sonnet Premium collection. Each pen in the collection has been meticulously crafted down to the last detail, featuring five distinctive engraved designs and complementary finishes and elegant trim.

First Impressions (6/10) This is the first step of a quest to exchange my Chinese clones of some very famous fountain pens with the originals. I own a Baoer 388 and a Kaigelu 356, both of them clearly modelled on the Parker Sonnet. So, when I found this particular model pearl and metal I was very tempted; so following the advice of Oscar Wilde I fell for it. The fact that the nib is a 18K gold was also a very strong factor to incline me for this particular model. Going back to the item itself, it came in a standard Parker box, with a large blue Quink cartridge , some generic instructions and certificate of warranty. and a large converter. The box was not terribly pretty, but none of my recent purchases had a particularly remarkable box. So once the pen was uncovered I will move on Appearance (8/10) The pen in itself is very light, and graceful. It is not a surprise that this model has been so widely copied in the Far East. This particular version is very stylish, witha very sleek and Art-Deco like cap in chrome, with a rose gold band where the name Parker Sonnet France is written . The body is of a very well achieved pearl like colour. It is of course plastic but it seems very good quality. In all, the design of the pen is stunning and the appearance is quite striking. I found out later that this model was targeted at the female public. If this is the case, I certainly am very much in synch with the female side of my personality. Design/Size/Weight (8/10) 146 mm posted maximum diameter 12 mm 124 mm uncapped 25 g weight The pen is well balanced, although once the pen is capped there is a very slight tendency that I need to correct after a few lines. Nothing serious though. It is a short pen, which suits me well as I do not have very large hands. Nib (7/10) The nib is 18 K gold, rhodium plated and marked as such. It is a small nib, as it should be in a pen of this size. The feeding mechanism is marked F to indicate that this is a fine nib. The section, where the fingers hold the pen is black plastic, so nothing special there. It is comfortable enough to keep going without notice for the 30 minutes that I used it. However, the performance of the nib is slightly disappointing. It wrote well right out of the box, as it should be, but if I paused my writing for 30 seconds looking for something it would not start unless I applied some extra pressure. I found this annoying but, hey it is my first day with it. Otherwise the nib has little flexibility and the line variation is minimal. The ink flow, leaving the aforementioned issues aside is good. It writes a medium-fine line rather than a fine line to me , but it is fine enough for my small handwriting. Filling System (7/10) It comes with a conventional Parker converter, that I tested and worked fine. I used the cartridge provided as I tend to forget them once they go back to the box and otherwise they might remain there for years. Nothing exciting as I am much more partial to the piston filling mechanism, but it is easy to clean and convenient. Cost and Value (7/10) I paid 80 UK pounds for this item and got it very quickly. I have seen that the retail price of this item can go much higher in the UK, reaching 175 UK pounds. So I think that I did a good transaction in terms of value Conclusion (7/10) In summary, I got a very nice looking little pen. It has a 18K gold nib and the pen seems solid and well made. I hope that the nib issues would be corrected with use and further cleaning. However, I cannot deny that the Chinese clones that I own were not worse writers than this one. I think that I will use this pen quite often but it is far from perfect, so the quest for the Holy Grail of Pens continues...

I recently bought a Sonnet Cascade Gold, date code A.III, which would place it in the first quarter of 2002. But it's a fake. No harm done because the vendor has agreed to refund the price, but I thought it would be worth describing the diagnostic points and showing some photos. I have seen a couple of poor quality fakes but this one is much better quality. The first thing is that the cap does not fit very well. It feels as if it is rough and grating - I have a genuine Cascade Silver, and the cap on this slides smoothly on and closes with a satisfying click. Completely different. The photos show some points. Superficially they look pretty similar. But the lettering on the cap band is cruder, it is offset and not central on the band, the 'III' in the date code are smaller than the 'A', the symbol before PARKER is the curly P and not the oval with an arrow - and the serif on the S in Sonnet is horizontal not vertical. The feathers on the top of the clip are different. On the real pen they are incised, deeper and wider in the centre and tapering to nothing at each end. On the fake they are cruder, and the 'gold' has been applied after the feather were stamped, so they look more blobby and rounded. Finally, on the other side of the band the P and W stamps are larger and cruder in the fake. And the waves in the cascade pattern are subtly different. In the fake the tops are pointy, but in the real one they are more rounded and assymetrical. This varies a bit depending on angle of view but there are definite differences. I hope this helps others not to make the mistake I made. Good luck!

I got two modern Sonnets, I love these very much. https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/348767-parker-sonnets-sterling-metro/ But the ink, after a week or 10 days, it vaporizes (or dry up) inside the cap, all. Very frustrating. There are three C shape slits at the top of the cap, and I think they are the windows that vaporize the ink. So I use a 5 ml syringe to inject some glue inside the slits. The glue I used is the cheapest transparent one. It is transparent and can be used by a syringe. And after it drys, it wont leave any stain like grease or oil. I did it weeks ago and the ink stops vaporize.

Hi folks, I am thinking of buying myself a present (ok, I'll be honest - I mean that I wants a new Shiny Thing I does, oh yes!), and I would like some advice from you before I Succumb to the Temptation to blow what is actually rather lot of money for me. I am trying to choose between a current production (2019-2020) Parker Sonnet, and a Waterman Carène. I am (as long as the Mods are happy to let me) putting this thread in to both the Parker forum and the Waterman forum, so that I can get as many well-informed replies as possible. The Carène that I fancy the look of is (happily for me) the cheapest one available, and so it is ‘only’ the same price as a Sonnet with a gold nib. The retailer from whom I am thinking of buying my new toy sells both pens, and in every nib width too They also stock spare nibs, so I could buy any colour of Sonnet and also buy a gold nib to put in to it. Background I already own some Parker Frontiers, so I know that the size and shape of the Sonnet suits my hand (although I don't yet know about the weight). I also like that their nib units can be unscrewed if necessary, because I like to use Rohrer & Klingner's iron-gall inks „Salix” and „Scabiosa”. The ease of removing the Sonnet's nib & feed for cleaning reassures me that I would have less to fear in terms of the consequences of letting any ink dry out in a Sonnet. [i did once let some „Salix” dry-out in a Parker "51", and that was a massive PITA to put right. It took about six weeks! OK, so it has so far only happened on the one occasion, when my mother had to be rushed in to hopsital with acute neurological side-effects from a new heart medication, and was in there for a month. Happily, it hasn't happened since, but since then ease of cleaning is something that I do consider whenever I contemplate a new pen purchase.] Regardless of my penchant for ‘planning for failure’, I am concerned that I have seen many complaints about Sonnets drying-out whilst capped, and complaints of them ‘writing dry’. Neither of those things sounds like anything I want - especially as I like pens that ‘write wet’. So, have you found modern Sonnets to have a drying-out problem? Do you think that there is any point in my buying a Sonnet with a gold nib, or are the steel nibs just as good? Is the gold nib more ‘springy’ than the steel? Are both nibs ‘nails’? With respect to the Carène, I like the look of the beast, and have read many complimetary things about it on here. I have read the advice on how to avoid the problems that can occur when filling it, and how to adjust the rotation angle of the barrel so that the ‘stern’ end of the pen is oriented correctly when the barrel is screwed back on. I have not yet held an example of the pen, so intend to try one out so that I can check its girth, heft, and balance before I buy it. My potential worry with it would be its large and inaccessible feed - if I were to let an ink (but especially an iron-gall ink) dry out in that I expect that it would be a nightmare to clean out. Possibly even worse than the "51"! What are your thoughts, oh Fount of All Wisdom that is FPN? Which of these two pens would you advise me to buy? Do you think that the Carène is the better pen, and that I should buy the Carène and just leave the iron-gall inks for my Frontiers? Or that each pen is as good as the other? Or that the Sonnet is better, and that I should buy one with a gold-nib? Or that I ought to buy a steel-nibbed Sonnet & also some nice inks with the rest of the money? Are there any other ‘problems’ with either pen? Have you found either to have any ‘idiosyncrasies’ that have irked you? My thanks to you all in advance for your answers. Cheers, M.

Hi folks, I am thinking of buying myself a present (ok, I'll be honest - I mean that I wants a new Shiny Thing I does, oh yes!), and I would like some advice from you before I Succumb to the Temptation to blow what is actually rather lot of money for me. I am trying to choose between a current production (2019-2020) Parker Sonnet, and a Waterman Carène. I am (as long as the Mods are happy to let me) putting this thread in to both the Parker forum and the Waterman forum, so that I can get as many well-informed replies as possible. The Carène that I fancy the look of is (happily for me) the cheapest one available, and so it is ‘only’ the same price as a Sonnet with a gold nib. The retailer from whom I am thinking of buying my new toy sells both pens, and in every nib width too They also stock spare nibs, so I could buy any colour of Sonnet and also buy a gold nib to put in to it. Background I already own some Parker Frontiers, so I know that the size and shape of the Sonnet suits my hand (although I don't yet know about the weight). I also like that their nib units can be unscrewed if necessary, because I like to use Rohrer & Klingner's iron-gall inks „Salix” and „Scabiosa”. The ease of removing the Sonnet's nib & feed for cleaning reassures me that I would have less to fear in terms of the consequences of letting any ink dry out in a Sonnet. [i did once let some „Salix” dry-out in a Parker "51", and that was a massive PITA to put right. It took about six weeks! OK, so it has so far only happened on the one occasion, when my mother had to be rushed in to hopsital with acute neurological side-effects from a new heart medication, and was in there for a month. Happily, it hasn't happened since, but since then ease of cleaning is something that I do consider whenever I contemplate a new pen purchase.] Regardless of my penchant for ‘planning for failure’, I am concerned that I have seen many complaints about Sonnets drying-out whilst capped, and complaints of them ‘writing dry’. Neither of those things sounds like anything I want - especially as I like pens that ‘write wet’. So, have you found modern Sonnets to have a drying-out problem? Do you think that there is any point in my buying a Sonnet with a gold nib, or are the steel nibs just as good? Is the gold nib more ‘springy’ than the steel? Are both nibs ‘nails’? With respect to the Carène, I like the look of the beast, and have read many complimetary things about it on here. I have read the advice on how to avoid the problems that can occur when filling it, and how to adjust the rotation angle of the barrel so that the ‘stern’ end of the pen is oriented correctly when the barrel is screwed back on. I have not yet held an example of the pen, so intend to try one out so that I can check its girth, heft, and balance before I buy it. My potential worry with it would be its large and inaccessible feed - if I were to let an ink (but especially an iron-gall ink) dry out in that I expect that it would be a nightmare to clean out. Possibly even worse than the "51"! What are your thoughts, oh Fount of All Wisdom that is FPN? Which of these two pens would you advise me to buy? Do you think that the Carène is the better pen, and that I should buy the Carène and just leave the iron-gall inks for my Frontiers? Or that each pen is as good as the other? Or that the Sonnet is better, and that I should buy one with a gold-nib? Or that I ought to buy a steel-nibbed Sonnet & also some nice inks with the rest of the money? Are there any other ‘problems’ with either pen? Have you found either to have any ‘idiosyncrasies’ that have irked you? My thanks to you all in advance for your answers. Cheers, M.

I was given a Parker Sonnet 2018 special edition, of the Metro variation of the special edition. This was a pleasant surprise - I did not even know that there were Sonnet ballpoints before I joined FPN last year. The Metro variant of the special edition are pens with black bodies and chrome-coloured caps with a city map pattern over the metal. The black plastic body feels like some sort of organic material, not unlike MB's "resin" plastic, to the touch. The map pattern's tactile sensation is matte. Metro pens have palladium trim. Pictures of the Metro fountain pen can be found in this thread: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/348767-parker-sonnets-sterling-metro/ Here are some more pictures of the pen. This pen has datecode P, standing for the 4th quarter of 2017. The pen is not very light; it feels substantial and well-made. In comparison to a Jotter flighter the pen is noticeably heavier. In writing with an oil ink refill it does not require any pressure. Gel refills are even easier to write with. In comparison to the Jotter concerning writing, the Jotter kind of makes me write faster. The Sonnet, as a result, can feel more leisurely and relaxed.

I’m not a Parker fans before, yet I bought quite some Parkers recently. Today I hope to share two recent Sonnets, a humble little review. The parker that I truly long for is the sterling chisel, (not the Duofold), no matter the well-known 75 or the recent Sonnet. While the Metro is one of the Travel-inspired special edition, the whole series are vivid to me and I choose the black Metro for the palladium trim (as the sterling one is a GT). Both are 18k gold nib and France made. Date code The Prestige is IIE The Metro is Y Weight Capped: Sterling: 33g Metro:31g Uncapped: Both 21g Package It’s a recent Parker package, just a bit smaller than the Duofold one. I’m not a fancy package guy, so what to say? Umm, rigid, protective and good looking. With a card, a manual, two cartridges and a converter. Outlook The Prestige (sterling chisel): A classic legend, irresistible, I remembered my father used a sterling 75 ballpoint pen more than four decades ago, and I miss him. I love the pattern throughout the whole pen. And the sterling mark at the cap makes it more classic. About the Metro: Special edition, stylish, not luxury. The cap design is imitating an illuminous street map. And I like the brushed BLACK metal section, it is really metropolitan-looking. The nib Sterling: It’s an 18k Medium nib. Some said the Sonnet nib has hard-start and dry-up problems. So when I bought two Sonnets at the same time, the feeling is risky. Put it simple to this pen, hard start: yes, but very little. Dry-up: seems not. Upon keeping the pen untouched for overnight, or even for 10 days (I tried), the first stroke is always ink-less, but it returns to juicy on the next stroke, and I could accept it. Metro: 18k Fine nib, mono tone, rhodium plated, with special design. But there is NO hard start problem even on 10 days untouched. Both nib are stiff, not bouncy and no flex at all, so no line variation could be expected, but very reliable and I like the feedback generated. It makes the writing faster and probably a good workhorse for writing. The ink supply is sufficient even in quick dash lines. Yet the line width is very similar for both fine and medium. I like the nib. Comfortability Many pens are good looking, many are expensive, but not too many pens attract me by comfortability. Sonnet got my full marks score in it, and I know it’s personal. The balance and the size suits my hands and I always have a happy feeling when holding these Sonnets (probably come from the weight and the feeling). And I prefer the Sonnet for the round barrel end, which makes the pen more comfortable on hand. Cartridge I love parker cartridges. It’s huge… love it. And the performance of the Quink is also efficient. Little Conclusion I love them both, even compare to the Duofold Centennial. Definitely a good workhorse. Convenient snap cap, feeling secure, wonderful in working environment. I think the official market price of modern Parkers are really over-priced, so make sure to get a good price tag. Thanks for watching, sorry for the picture size.

Can anyone provide info on a old Parker Sonnet Rollerball that I have had in my collection for years. It appears to be identical to the FP but I am not certain that that it is the same gold plated body. It's from 1994 - I think. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks, Robb

I have a number of 1994 Sonnets, which I love. But they tend to dry out overnight, and in some cases an ink cartridge only a couple of weeks old and hardly used has evaporated almost completely. It seems this is a problem lots of people have had. I have read various ideas for solutions on the FPN, and this request is to ask which solution is best. Am I right that it is due to the ventilation holes in the end of the cap being too large? I have seen the suggestion that dripping candle wax into the inside of the cap can seal the holes. This seems straightforward but I do a fair amount of work in tropical climates and I'm a bit worried about the wax melting. Liquid epoxy has been suggested but wouldn't this be irreversible? Or does that not matter? Or would shellac do the trick? If anyone has experience of these or any other methods, please enlighten me!

So I saw this this parker sonnet at my local book/stationary store. I didn't see any finish resembling the finish on that sonnet on parker official website. After googling for a while I found out that that was a parker sonnet laque moonbeam! It's a 1994 edition and it's still brand new, the price tag is $150. Is laque moonbeam a rare collector item now? I'm wondering if I should get that pen, if it were you would you take it?

CMIIW, according to the Clip/Cap-band and section thread this is not original right? AFAIK the 2010 style nib hasn't been faked before! Click image for larger resolution Black CT http://i.imgur.com/VefOSewm.jpg http://i.imgur.com/DOAMIWPm.jpg http://i.imgur.com/FvTJxhzm.jpg Black GT http://i.imgur.com/fgVkJB6m.jpg http://i.imgur.com/bC1b79Lm.jpg http://i.imgur.com/L2z8Z1Gm.jpg Red GT http://i.imgur.com/v4iK8NWm.jpg http://i.imgur.com/8uf3jMHm.jpg http://i.imgur.com/NGYmC9em.jpg http://i.imgur.com/GnhJ0ypm.jpg this is new right?

I've recently begun purchasing fountain pens and have bought a few through ebay from china. They state that they are Parker Sonnet, and appear to be just that, but the prices are dramatically less than if I were to purchase from Amazon. For an example I bought a Blue Parker Sonnet pen, gold trim with a medium nib on ebay for $12.05 Cdn, but on Amazon the same pen is listed for around $45.20 Cdn. Are these pens truly a Parker Sonnet, or a 'knock off' and how would I be able to tell. The pen writes well and I have no complaints about it, but the pricing variance is a little unsettling.

Wow I can't believe I just risked ruining the Parker Sonnet(Gen 1 Laque Firedance) that my mom gave me, which also happens to be my first ever fountain pen. I saw that the tines were misaligned and bent the lower one, over did it 2 times(first time adjusting a nib, and it was on a pen with actual sentimental value, I know I'm stupid), had to bend it the other way around, got about 8 heart attacks, almost died of cardiac arrest, and finally did it, here are the pics. Before: https://goo.gl/KNDqVt After: https://goo.gl/Mv8ZwW